PORT ST. LUCIE — It’s hard to find an oddsmaker who has the Yankees as the team to beat in the American League this year and general manager Brian Cashman isn’t going to argue.
“Texas is clearly the favorite in the league,” Cashman said yesterday before the Yankees lost to the Mets, 7-6, at Digital Domain Park. “They’ve won it two straight years.”
And the Rangers aren’t the only team that has his attention.
“Anaheim and Detroit have made significant improvements,” Cashman said. “Detroit knocked us out in the first round and they added Prince Fielder this winter and you saw what Anaheim did with C.J. [Wilson] and Albert [Pujols].”
After naming the Red Sox as the top team in the AL East a year ago, Cashman sees danger there again.
“I think our division’s a toss-up,” he said. “I think Tampa Bay is obviously the real deal and I think Boston is better than they finished up last year. So it’s a toss-up.”
Still, he’s not giving up on his own team.
“Last year’s team won 97 games,” Cashman said of the team that won the division but lost to the Tigers in the AL Division Series. “I think we have more talent on this year’s team, but I also think the league is better. That’s the great equalizer. So who knows? We’ll see.”
They will find out soon enough.
Still, with Opening Day against the Rays just two days away and the rotation and most of the roster set, Joe Girardi likes his team’s chances.
“I think we’re deeper than we were last year,” Girardi said. “I think we’re more experienced in our starting rotation and we have more depth if we need guys. Last year, we had a hard time at times with who the five guys were gonna be. Think that’s different this year.”
The Yankees hope Andy Pettitte and Michael Pineda, once he’s healthy, pitch to expectations and Ivan Nova finds the form that made him a 16-game winner a year ago. Last year, Nova was a surprise — as was Bartolo Colon.
“With Bartolo, we weren’t really sure what we would get,” Girardi said. “We didn’t know how long he was going to go for. I don’t think we have any concerns about Freddy [Garcia] and limitations this year. Last year, we did.”
Of course, the roster could change down the road, but yesterday Cashman didn’t sound as if he was ready to make any key additions.
“I’m not gonna take on money, I can tell you that,” the GM said, adding with a laugh. “Until we take on money.”
He has until 5 p.m. today to set their final roster with at least two spots in the bullpen still open.
Clay Rapada remains a candidate to be a second lefty option out of the pen, while Adam Warren, David Phelps and D.J. Mitchell are in contention to start the season as the long man out of the pen. According to Girardi, Mitchell is the only one of the three with any real experience pitching in relief in the minors.
“They’re all pretty close,” Girardi said of the three before Phelps tossed 11⁄2 scoreless innings yesterday and Mitchell gave up a run over three innings. “Mitchell has a swing-and-miss changeup.”
But it will be bigger names than those that will ultimately decide the Yankees’ fate — and whether Cashman is a good odds-maker.
dan.martin@nypost.com